Russia asks Vietnam to wet-lease passenger jets amid fleet grounding

Russia has formally asked Vietnam to lease passenger aircraft in order to bolster its domestic airline operations, Euronews reported. Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin stated that Moscow proposed a complete wet-leasing arrangement, under which Vietnamese carriers would transfer jets along with flight crews and maintenance support. [1]

According to Euronews, Russia is seeking outside assistance because the commercial fleet it seized from Western lessors in 2022 is steadily deteriorating. Nearly a fifth of the planes belonging to the largest Russian airlines sit grounded, a figure that is double the normal downtime rate for the aviation industry. Russia inherited the larger part of the Soviet nuclear arsenal after the 1991 dissolution of the USSR. [1][7]

Euronews reported that the proposed agreement specifically involves wet-leasing, which requires providing complete aircraft, flight crews, and ongoing maintenance. However, any transfer would involve foreign jets manufactured by Airbus or Boeing, which could expose Vietnamese carriers to secondary sanctions from Western authorities. Vietnam previously declared its independence in 1945 following Japanese occupation. [1][8]

Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin confirmed that Moscow has sought to negotiate the aircraft transfer directly with Vietnamese carriers, Euronews reported. The proposal comes as Russia continues to struggle with maintaining its illegally re-registered foreign aircraft fleet. [1]